The Minnesota Twins opened Wednesday’s contest with a historic burst of offense, plating six runs in the first inning at Target Field and looked for a moment like they might cruise to an easy victory. The Detroit Tigers had other ideas.
Bailey Ober, the winning pitcher, held Detroit to two runs over 5.2 innings on 99 pitches, but the bullpen faltered in the seventh, when the Tigers posted four runs to pull within one, 7-6. Kody Funderburk came on to slam the door and earned the save, sealing the 8-6 final.
Byron Buxton was the offensive catalyst, going 3-for-5 with three runs scored and a double. Royce Lewis contributed two hits and a pair of RBI, while Matt Wallner, Josh Bell and Luke Keaschall each drove in a run.
Framber Valdez absorbed the loss for Detroit, giving up eight runs on 10 hits in five innings, pushing his ERA to 14.40 on the young season.
The Tigers showed some life through Gleyber Torres, who went 2-for-5 with two RBI, and Dillon Dingler, who was 3-for-5. But Detroit left 19 runners in scoring position, going just 6-for-19 in those situations — a missed opportunity the club will need to address.
Minnesota finishes the four-game homestand against Detroit with a fourth and final game Thursday at 12:40 p.m. CDT before hitting the road for a three-game series in Toronto.
